Shocking 16,000 Jobs Lost Due to California’s $20 Fast Food Wage Hike

By the time California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the $20 minimum wage for fast food workers, he had been warned by many that it would be devastating for the industry, but he did it anyway. Now, 16,000 fast food jobs have been lost and fast food prices are up more than 14.5%. And here is why: the $20 minimum wage harms California’s least skilled and least experienced workers, as they are no more productive, but are significantly more expensive, and results in harms the business owners as well.

This week, new data released from the new Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) shows that California has now lost as many as 16,000 fast food jobs.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages includes mandatory reports from industry employers. The Employment Policies Institute reminds us that “this dataset is the gold standard for economists, and has been lauded by even Newsom’s favorite economists as the best on-the-ground look at a sector’s economic situation.”